VIDEO: Brevard County Implements Ban On Open Burning Due To Ongoing Drought Conditions

it’s an issue of public safety: includes campfires, bonfires, trash burning and other incineration

ABOVE VIDEO:WFTV reports Tuesday from road closures caused by smoke from brush fires. Due to ongoing drought conditions, favorable to the eruption of wildfires, Brevard County has implemented a ban on open burning throughout the county.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Due to ongoing drought conditions, favorable to the eruption of wildfires, Brevard County has implemented a ban on open burning throughout the county.

The ban, approved Tuesday evening by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners, is effective in both incorporated and unincorporated areas and includes campfires, bonfires, trash burning and other incineration.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency following increased wildfires across the state.

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index currently averages in the 500-549 range in Brevard County on a scale of 750. There are currently more than 100 active wildfires across the state, including 4 active brush fires in Brevard County.

“The continuous sparking of brush fires, the fact that Brevard has reached an extreme level on the Fire Danger Index, and the repeated highway closures due to visibility issues, indicates that we cannot wait until the drought index goes higher, or we experience fires that are closer to homes, to react,” said Brevard County Emergency Management Director Kimberly Prosser.

“It’s an issue of public safety.”

There are currently more than 100 active wildfires across the state, including four active brush fires in Brevard County.

The burn ban will remain in effect until conditions change significantly. Most surrounding counties have also declared burn bans until drought conditions have eased.

Little relief from the drought is anticipated prior to the beginning of the rainy season, which begins June 1.

The burn ban is supported by Brevard County Fire Rescue, the Space Coast Fire Chiefs Association, and Brevard County Emergency Management.

“Due to increasing threats in the occurrence of brush fires, the county needs to take action to initiate a burn ban to prevent further brush fire incidents,” said Scott Gold, assistant chief of BCFR Fire Operations.